Category: Thurles

At the Easter Sunday commemoration of George Plant, Ciara McCormack of Thurles delivered a salient and strong reminder that not only do Fianna Fáil bear the responsibility for the recent financial bankruptcy of the State, but that they have a long and demonstrable history of moral bankruptcy too.

Ciara McCormack is Runaí of Sinn Féin Comhairle Ceantair, Tiobraid Árann. She is also studying Social Care in LIT Thurles where she is from, and put her research experience to good use to examine the case of George Plant, and what it teaches us about the harm that Fianna Fáil does in society.

In her oration Ciara McCormack said: “I lived by the core republican ideals of fairness, equality, and social justice before I had ever identified my views as Republican. Irish Republicanism embodies these ideals at it’s core, though most will not make that connection. This is due to the systematic vilification of Republicanism through oppression which carried from British colonialism to the Free State and on into today.”

“I naively held the Department of Education view of history and so knew little of real heroes like George Plant.”

“During one of the most distressing chapters of Irish legal history, the corruption, deceit and manipulation employed by a power hungry Fianna Fáil backed by an equally rotten police force to execute George Plant are as relevant today if we look at those same entities now.”

“The death of George Plant shines a light on a period of history conveniently forgotten by those claiming to be the ‘real Republican party’”.

“A soldier during the Tan War from 1919 to 1921, George Plant later questioned but ultimately carried out his orders during a period of high intrigue often affected by informers.”

“Examining the life and suspicious death by execution of George Plant exposes the deceit and betrayal by the dark force of Fianna Fáil, which has stalked and shackled our people in often brutal repression for almost a century. Even the ‘new’ Fianna Fáil leadership forgets about testimonies extracted at gunpoint”.

“Fianna Fáil collectively betrayed the Sovereign Constitution of 1919, which held sway in the Irish Republic from 1919 to 1922; the betrayal of this document has led us down the dark path we are still on today in this southern ‘Republic’”.

“Fianna Fáil lambaste Sinn Féin about the horrors of armed conflict, forgetting the blood and horror of their own past. This and other behaviours are to be expected from the ever constant chameleon that holds Ireland in a perpetual state of dysfunction.”

“Fine Gael are what they are and they openly destroy our country, but the willingness of Fianna Fáil to stoop to any low low to keep a grip on power still damages the working people of the State.”

“It was in selfish pursuit of power that Fianna Fáil was formed, and their resultant policies ever since have morally and financially bankrupted Ireland.”

ENDS

L-R: Ciara McCormack, Cllr Martin Browne, Joanne Cleere.At the 2017 George Plant commemoration the Oration was delivered by Ciara McCormack, in which she reminded us that “Fianna Fáil are the ever constant chameleon that holds Ireland in a perpetual state of dysfunction”.

Ciara McCormack, Cllr Martin Browne, Joanne Cleere.At the 2017 George Plant commemoration the Oration was delivered by Ciara McCormack, in which she reminded us that “Fianna Fáil are the ever constant chameleon that holds Ireland in a perpetual state of dysfunction”.

At the Annual Easter commemoration of George Plant, Ciara McCormack delivered a powerful account of the fate of George Plant at the dishonest hands of Fianna Fáil, and the fate of the southern ‘Republic’.

The oration reminded the large crowd in attendance of the duplicity of Fianna Fáil and the harm that group have done to our State and to our Nation. As she reminded us, “while Fianna Fáil continually lament and lambast Sinn Féin about the horrors of armed conflict, they conveniently forget the blood and horror of their own past. They are the ever constant chameleon that holds Ireland in a perpetual state of dysfunction”.

Speaking in Leinster House today, Sinn Féin’s Agriculture spokesperson, Martin Kenny TD, has said that the measures introduced by Minister Michael Creed on the National Reserve were welcome, but do not go far enough.

Deputy Kenny said:

“While I am glad that, at last, the Minister has done something to help young farmers and new entrants to farming for 2017, after leaving them in the lurch last year, these measures do not go far enough to resolve the situation.

“However, €5 million is not enough to deal with the backlog of young farmers who have completed or who are now trying to complete green cert training and who will be seeking entitlements soon.”

Sinn MEP Liadh Ní Riada was in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary on Friday to meet the River Shannon Protection Alliance group along with Cllr Séamie Morris. Liadh heard first hand from people who have been affected by the lowering water levels on Lough Derg among many other issues. Liadh agrees that Lough Derg is vital for the tourism prospects in the region for the future and as an economic asset for the Mid West region.

Irish Water’s preferred proposition at present is to use water from Lough Derg via a major pipe construction to supply Dublin and surrounding areas.

Irish Water have begun a public consultation process that will last until Feb 14th 2017. Councillor Morris is calling on people who feel strongly about this issue to contact him, get involved in local campaign groups, or lodge their own submission.

“We already have problems arising in the Irish mushroom sector, because of the significant weakening of Sterling against the Euro over recent weeks, with plants closing down, as a result of Brexit concerns.”

“Brexit is an all-island issue. So, I expect MEPs from all over Ireland to support the setting up of a Brexit working group for agriculture.

“In my opinion farming and food in Tipperary are the industries that have most to lose from Brexit.”

Liadh is also concerned about rural Tipperary, A European Commission report into the Cumulative Effects of Trade Agreements which was published today proved again that deals like CETA & TTIP will have devastating consequences for agriculture.

Now Irish MEPs (Fine Gael, in particular) have a choice to make in advance of the European Parliament vote on CETA, due to take place in December.

They can either support Irish farmers or they can support regressive trade deals such as CETA & TTIP, but they can’t support both.

Sinn Féin’s Tipperary General Election candidate Cllr. Séamie Morris has called on the public to realise that Sinn Féin’s progressive vision for society is the best option to achieve the ideals of the Republic. He was speaking after Taoiseach Enda Kenny dissolved the 31st Dáil this morning and announced Friday, February 26th as the date of the General Election.

2016-01-29: Members of Clonmel Sinn Féin with Martin McGuinness and Séamie Morris at the campaign launch.

Cllr Morris said: “This is a historic election for all of us, and we have to realise that the choices we make now will be reflected upon in 100 years time, by our children, and our children’s children.”

“We stand at a crossroads in time. We can either stick with the failed politics of Fine Gael and Labour, and the bankrupt morality of Fianna Fáil, or we can strike out anew for our ideal society. We have this one chance to do what’s best for Tipperary and right for ourselves.”

“Sinn Féin has a vision of a New Republic which doesn’t have the constant chaos and conflict that we see now. We can see in our failed health service that the existing policies don’t work. We can see in our housing crisis that the existing policies work against citizens. But only the voter on February 26th can choose which turn at this crossroads we will take.”

“We can choose a better education system – starting with more childcare – and moving to full equality of opportunity, or we can stick with the ways that brought our State to bankruptcy. We can choose fundamental change, or we can choose to continue down the road of Fine Gael and Labour which means more privatisation and poorer services.”

“Fine Gael and their pretend-left friends in Labour are hurtling down the road that brings us to chaotic American-style taxation with threadbare public services. That’s not vision, that’s just mimicking their governance by corporation. I have a vision of the Republic that matches the idealism of 1916, and the practical sense to see how to achieve it.”

“Across our county ordinary people have seen the work that Sinn Féin councillors do. From Carrick to Thurles citizens are realising that only Sinn Féin are on the ground all year round. They realise that our promise to scrap the toxic Uisce Éireann monster, and to abolish Property Tax is part of our commitment to a better Ireland.”

“When low earners are removed from the USC bracket, as they will be when Sinn Féin are lead party in government, those citizens will begin to understand the difference between big-business government and government by ordinary people like us.”

“But only registered voters get to choose their future. The supplementary register is open until February 12 so I ask anyone not registered get on it immediately.”

“Picking another establishment TD for Tipperary won’t do anything different for Tipperary than what it’s done in the past. And that has to stop.”

“It’s no longer enough to merely share our vision. Citizens are asked to take action, and vote for it. Register by the 12th, and vote on the 26th. Otherwise our shared dream of a New Republic may never be more than talk.”